reformedlearner

I've just secured an apartment remotely via Padmapper.com. Others online have suggested cdliving.com or craigslist, too.

I'll be moving from Boston to Madison in early August to join the Genetics PhD program! Anyone else on here committed to UW-Madison?

Andddddd I'm going to UW-Madison

On the topic of declining offers: Who do you contact? The graduate secretary? The faculty member that offered acceptance? Both?

For me, this was part of the generic "your application is complete" email from months ago.

They sent an earlier email confirming applications which said "All applicants who are selected for an interview will be notified the week of January 12th, 2015." I haven't heard anything yet (invite nor rejection) but there are still a few hours left in the day...

Looks like a few of you have heard about interviews to Wisconsin Madison Genetics. I haven't heard anything. At this point is it safe to assume I will be rejected? There is not much historical data in the results search.

I'm in the process of applying for a PhD this upcoming application season after a sucessful stint in industry (genomics). I've identified a few target labs and one in particular seems like an amazing fit. The degree offered however is in chemistry, and my career goals do not involve pure chemistry. The coursework and research will be 50/50 molecular and computational biology and I would like to set up a career in industry along these lines. I know in academia you are measured by the papers you have, rather than the category of your degree, but I fear industry may not be so openminded. Any advice or comments to this dynamic would be much appreciated. Thanks!!

Woo! Congrats trizzle and caffeinated. Care to share stats?

Please give me any feedback that you can. I welcome all the help I can get! Undergraduate institution: Top 15, USA Undergraduate GPA: 2.05 (not a typo) Undergraduate Major: Molecular Biology & Bioinformatics Graduate institution: Harvard Extension School Graduate GPA: 3.8 Graduate major: Biotechnology - Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (master's program) Years of Work Experience: 5ish Describe Relevant Work Experience: - 1y research associate (current) for exciting startup in my field - 1y research assistant (current) for major research hospital (thesis related). - 2.5y research associate for high-prestige core lab in my field. - 8mo research intern, undergraduate - 3mo contract research assistant, small startup Publication record: None as of yet , but should have 2 (based off thesis research) and MAYBE 1 (based off work) by the time I apply. Not sure of impact of journal, etc. I have been acknowledged in a major PLoS paper, but alas acknowledgements count for nothing. Read as: 0 publications. Posters/Presentations: 1 poster presented at a popular global conference in my field SOP: Will address low uGPA, upward trend, strong experience, and commitment to research. Letters: Plan is to have letters from 1 grad prof (3 classes, all As), my thesis advisor, and a former boss. GRE: Take my GRE Saturday. Will update with results. Anything that you see that I can add here to attempt to compensate for my uGPA? My unordered list is below which has been carefully selected from PIs that share my research interests. I know there are some big names on there, but I'm hoping that some are within my range. Thanks in advance! yale - microbiology (biological and biomedical science) northeastern - biology u conn - molecular and cellular bio: microbiology u new hampshire - genetics u toronto - molecular genetics boston u - molecular biology, cell biology, and biochem (MCBB) harvard - organismal and evolutionary biology OR molecules, cells, and organisms u illinois uc - molecular and cellular biology brown (collab with MBL) - computational molecular biology (igert program - reverse ecology, microbial & comparitive genomics initiative) u mass amherst - molecular and cellular biology u waterloo - biology u georgia - microbiology OR genetics u mass boston - molecular, cellular, and organismal biology

Sorry about that! Will do; thanks!

Please give me any feedback that you can. I welcome all the help I can get! Undergraduate institution: Top 15, USA Undergraduate GPA: 2.05 (not a typo) Undergraduate Major: Molecular Biology & Bioinformatics Graduate institution: Harvard Extension School Graduate GPA: 3.8 Graduate major: Biotechnology - Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (master's program) Years of Work Experience: 5ish Describe Relevant Work Experience: - 1y research associate (current) for exciting startup in my field - 1y research assistant (current) for major research hospital (thesis related). - 2.5y research associate for high-prestige core lab in my field. - 8mo research intern, undergraduate - 3mo contract research assistant, small startup Publication record: None as of yet , but should have 2 (based off thesis research) and MAYBE 1 (based off work) by the time I apply. Not sure of impact of journal, etc. I have been acknowledged in a major PLoS paper, but alas acknowledgements count for nothing. Read as: 0 publications. Posters/Presentations: 1 poster presented at a popular global conference in my field SOP: Will address low uGPA, upward trend, strong experience, and commitment to research. Letters: Plan is to have letters from 1 grad prof (3 classes, all As), my thesis advisor, and a former boss. GRE: Take my GRE Saturday. Will update with results. Anything that you see that I can add here to attempt to compensate for my uGPA? My unordered list is below which has been carefully selected from PIs that share my research interests. I know there are some big names on there, but I'm hoping that some are within my range. Thanks in advance! yale - microbiology (biological and biomedical science) northeastern - biology u conn - molecular and cellular bio: microbiology u new hampshire - genetics u toronto - molecular genetics boston u - molecular biology, cell biology, and biochem (MCBB) harvard - organismal and evolutionary biology OR molecules, cells, and organisms u illinois uc - molecular and cellular biology brown (collab with MBL) - computational molecular biology (igert program - reverse ecology, microbial & comparitive genomics initiative) u mass amherst - molecular and cellular biology u waterloo - biology u georgia - microbiology OR genetics u mass boston - molecular, cellular, and organismal biology

Please give me any feedback that you can. I welcome all the help I can get! Undergraduate institution: Top 15, USA Undergraduate GPA: 2.05 (not a typo) Undergraduate Majors: Molecular Biology & Bioinformatics Graduate institution: Harvard Extension School Graduate GPA: 3.8 Graduate major: Biotechnology - Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (master's program) Years of Work Experience: 5ish Describe Relevant Work Experience: - 1y research associate (current) for exciting startup in my field - 1y research assistant (current) for major research hospital (thesis related). - 2.5y research associate for high-prestige core lab in my field. - 8mo research intern, undergraduate - 3mo contract research assistant, small startup Publication record: None as of yet , but should have 2 (based off thesis research) and MAYBE 1 (based off work) by the time I apply. Not sure of impact of journal, etc. I have been acknowledged in a major PLoS paper, but alas acknowledgements count for nothing. Read as: 0 publications. Posters/Presentations: 1 poster presented at a popular global conference in my field SOP: Will address low uGPA, upward trend, strong experience, and commitment to research. Letters: Plan is to have letters from 1 grad prof (3 classes, all As), my thesis advisor, and a former boss. GRE: Take my GRE Saturday. Will update with results. Anything that you see that I can add here to attempt to compensate for my uGPA? My unordered list is below which has been carefully selected from PIs that share my research interests. I know there are some big names on there, but I'm hoping that some are within my range. Thanks in advance! yale - microbiology (biological and biomedical science) northeastern - biology u conn - molecular and cellular bio: microbiology u new hampshire - genetics u toronto - molecular genetics boston u - molecular biology, cell biology, and biochem (MCBB) harvard - organismal and evolutionary biology OR molecules, cells, and organisms u illinois uc - molecular and cellular biology brown (collab with MBL) - computational molecular biology (igert program - reverse ecology, microbial & comparitive genomics initiative) u mass amherst - molecular and cellular biology u waterloo - biology u georgia - microbiology OR genetics u mass boston - molecular, cellular, and organismal biology

I'm trying to gauge what level of PhD is attainable (if any?) for someone in my non-traditional situation. Some background: Academics/Research I'm looking into a PhD in Molecular Bio/Genomics. Depending on the school, the name varies. I hold a BSc in Molecular Bio & Bioinfo from RPI. My GPA was very poor (2.05 in-school, higher if you account for transferred courses) I'm currently in a Master's program part time. It is the Biotechnology - Bioengineering and Nanotechnology degree from Harvard's extension school. I currently have a 3.763 GPA. 2 courses (one this summer, one this fall) and a thesis remain before I recieve the degree RPI research: ~8 months. Nothing special but rounds out my resume. Harvard reasearch: currently involved in a project as an RA. I should be first (or maybe second) author on the eventual publication. Industry/Work Exp. During undergrad I was an RA at a now-defunct small biotech for about 3 months Right out of undergrad I was an RA at a big genomic sequencing center where most everyone is affiliated somehow with the surrounding colleges. I spent a little more than 2 years there. Acknowledged (not an author) on a PLoS paper. I am currently employee #19 (as an RA) at a very exciting startup that has been featured in Nature. I expect to be involved in a few patents and papers because of this over the next few years. If/when I exit then I'd like to return and get a PhD.................... ..........so, what should I look at as realistic? Is there a shot at the big names (Harvard, MIT, etc)? How about smaller programs? This is my list: harvard northeastern tufts u california riverside u maine u mass amherst u mass boston u new hampshire u toronto